Internet Protocol (IP) (i.e., Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) layer three) provides data communications across a network. Currently, IP is used to connect devices and request services. For example, a set top box (hereinafter “STB”) or equivalent device can connect to a video server utilizing the video server's IP address to request and thereafter receive content. A STB is a device that connects to a television or the like and some external signal source, and turns the signal into content then displayed on the television screen. The signal source might be an Ethernet cable, a satellite dish, a coaxial cable, a telephone line (including DSL connections), Broadband over Power Line, or even an ordinary antenna. Content, in this context, could mean any or all of video, audio, Internet, interactive games, or the like.
STBs can include a stand-alone STB, a STB behind a home gateway router (HGR), a STB integrating a HGR, or an integrated media display or conventional personal computer instead of a STB. The STB's signal source directly or indirectly (e.g., through an access network) connects to a network. The access to the network can include fixed wireline access (e.g., Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL), cable modems, Ethernet, passive optical network (PON), etc.), mobile wireless access (e.g., Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), etc.), WiMAX, and fixed wireless access (e.g., wireless local area network (WLAN)).
Broadband networks operable to provide end-users with real-time, rich content are proliferating. End-users are deploying feature-rich STBs and content providers are increasing content and service offerings. For example, Video-on-Demand (hereinafter “VoD”) is being increasingly offered to provide end-users content-on-demand. VoD systems generally allow end-users to select and watch video content over a network as part of an interactive television system. VoD systems either “stream” content, allowing viewing in real time, or “download” it in which the program is brought in its entirety to a user-device, such as the STB, before viewing starts. The latter is more appropriately termed “store and forward”. Additionally, a combined method is also possible in which a certain amount of video is downloaded and pre-stored, and the playing can then start. This method allows playback to start faster, while compensating for limited rate download media or errored or otherwise delayed streams. The majority of cable and telco-based VoD systems use the streaming approach, whereby a user buys or selects content and it begins to play on the television set almost instantaneously. In addition to connecting to a VoD server, a STB can request services through IP from other devices, such as a cache server, a broadband remote access switch (BRAS), a peer-to-peer cache, a live-feed video encoder (e.g., from on-air, from satellite, from a network carrier feed, etc.), and the like.
Referring to FIG. 1, a STB 10 connects to a VoD controller 40 and multiple VoD servers 42 through an access/aggregation network 20 and a core network 30. Note that the VoD servers 42 can be located in another network behind the network 20 or integrated in the network 20. The STB 10 can include a stand-alone STB, a STB behind a home gateway router (HGR), a STB integrating a HGR, a gaming console used as STB, a user device such as a cell phone or PDA being used as display, or an integrated media display or conventional personal computer instead of a STB. The STB 10 also connects to a television 12 or the like. The access between the STB 10 and the access/aggregation network 20 can be DSL, PON, or the like.
In this exemplary embodiment, the VoD servers 42 are attached to the access/aggregation network 20 to provide faster response to local users, such as the STB 10. Alternatively, the VoD servers could be connected to the core network 30, and this would enable a wider community of users, but would reduce server 42 responsiveness. Servers 42 for traditional cable and telco VoD services are usually placed at a cable head-end serving a particular market as well as cable hubs in larger markets. In the telco world, they are placed in either the central office (CO), or a newly created location called a VHO or “Video Head-End Office”.
The access/aggregation network 20 includes multiple switches/routers 22 which connect to the VoD servers 42 and the STB 10. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other devices may be included between the STB 10 and the VoD servers 42. The core network 30 usually includes an edge router 34 and multiple core routers 32. The VoD controller 40 is a network-based server connected to the core network 30 configured to receive and process VoD requests, such as from the STB 10 through connection 52.
Typically the STB 10, such as a STB integrating a HGR, operates at the IP (OSI layer 3) layer. Often the access/aggregation network 20 operates at the Ethernet (OSI layer 2) layer (which previously was ATM layer 2). For example, the switches/routers 22 can include multi-service switches, BRAS, and the like. For example, a BRAS terminates layer two on the access side, linking a STB's IP layer to the core network IP layer. Currently, VoD servers 30 are attached to routers. A typical VoD transaction involves selecting content, such as using an electronic program guide from the STB 10, and a request is made over the networks 20,30 to the VoD server 40. The VoD controller 40 can include devices from Myrio Corp. of Bothell, Wash., Kasenna Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., Minerva Networks Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif., Orca Interactive Ltd. of Ra'anana, Israel, Microsoft Corp. of Redmond, Wash. There may be intermediate proxies to the VoD server 40 in the network, for example a hierarchical setup with smaller distributed VoD controllers in order to achieve large-scale network reliability and response times. The VoD servers 40 and associated infrastructure (e.g., all the way to billing) will authenticate the user/STB, possibly provide decryption keys, and instruct the STB 10 where to obtain the content, i.e. such as a connection 54 between the STB 10 and the VoD servers 42.
The STB 10 is instructed where to obtain the content via an IP address and usually other data (e.g., movie name, reference index, UDP port, etc), i.e. connection 54. Note that this address may be interpreted or provided via proxies, and possibly be redirected either locally or via secondary servers in order to locate the proper content location. Reasons for a redirect might be for example server occupation rate (e.g., busy or not), movie location (e.g., physical location), availability of the network 20,30 between servers, and the like. Thus existing systems and methods utilize the IP layer as a way to “dial” up between the STB 10 request and the video content. Because the address is IP layer three, this requires IP routers or the like to access the route and end points. At the user location, the STB 10 has an integrated router, or similar device providing layer three access.
The access/aggregation network 20 is composed either of routers or, alternatively, of Ethernet switches, possibly carrier Ethernet. Carrier Ethernet can include a combination of: Optical Transport Network (OTN) network (e.g., ITU-T G.709), Media Access Control-in-Media Access Control (MAC-in-MAC), Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) queue-in-queue (Q-in-Q), Provider Backbone Transport (PBT), Provider Backbone Bridges (PBB), or the like. The VoD servers 42 usually are connected to a normal network router, although it might be a load balancing router, possibly able to operate at a higher OSI layer than IP but definitely including IP.
Thus current methods use IP and bookend routing capability to provide connectivity between the STB 10 and the VoD controller 40, and between the STB 10 and the VoD servers 42. Disadvantageously, access/aggregation networks 20 must include layer three capabilities at both ends (bookending the STB with a router at the VoD (or other video server) side); however these (aggregation/access) networks often operate at layer one, layer two, and combinations of layer one and two.